I had finished writing my weekly post when I received news of a resourceful California girl. So I offer the following instead. It’s a story you’ll enjoy.

When ten-year-old Lauren learned that, due to a budget shortfall, the Education Fund Committee of her elementary school had decided to eliminate the entire art program, she was extremely upset. Though she moves to middle school next year, the idea of the elementary students missing art disturbed her. Rather than stew, however, she created a campaign she called One Wall, One Week.

With her teacher’s permission, Lauren visited twenty-five other classrooms at her school. She encouraged her fellow students to ask their parents to remove the art from one wall of their home for one week, and to notice how they felt without it. She asked the teachers to do this in their classrooms as well. She then collected 387 student signatures on a petition to save the art program.

Last Tuesday night Lauren met with the Education Fund Committee where she presented both the petition and numerous examples of student art. (You can see her presentation in this 3 minute video. ) I am happy to report that thanks to her efforts, the Committee decided to restore the art program in full.

I admire Lauren. First, she spoke up, which takes courage. She took a creative, not a belligerent, approach, which takes imagination. Then she followed through, which takes commitment. (You try giving the same speech twenty-five times.)

Credit is certainly due her school, which allowed her to campaign, and the committee which saw the value in listening to such a concerned child. But one so young doing such heavy lifting offers us all hope for the future and inspiration in the present. May we all take the time to preserve what inspires us.

(Full disclosure: Lauren is my grandniece. Should you wish to leave her a comment, I will see it gets to her.)

IRENE O'GARDEN

Irene O'Garden was just awarded a 2012 Pushcart Prize for her essay "Glad To Be Human." Her poetry has found its way to the Off-Broadway stage ("Women On Fire" published by Samuel French), into hardcover ("Fat Girl" published by Harper) as well as into children’s books, literary journals and anthologies. She has received many grants, awards and residencies for her writing.